D&D 5E (2014) Questions on stealth...

[Ahglock]

You've never lost track of someone in a crowd? Narratively you are in a fight so it's not like you are just looking right at the elf. One moment he's there the next moment you lost track of him as your eyes drifted to another enemy, some motion you picked up out of the corner of your eyes etc. the bigger narrative problem IMO is explaining how everyone else is always seen and no one ever looses track of people in a crowd and no one can ever not pick up a tail. So how do you explain that once you see someone until the person is completely obscured you always keep perfect track of them? Everyone should be able to hide when lightly obscured after being seen though depending on how lightly the GM might rule at disadvantage. Special racial abilities should get them even better at it.

 

[Springheel]

You've never lost track of someone in a crowd?

Actually no, not if I'm actively trying to keep track of them, and they stay in my line of sight.

But I wasn't really talking about combat, where it's easy to imagine a character's attention being drawn somewhere else for a second, during which any character could theoretically hide. But what about out of combat, when someone is looking their direction?

 

[Ahglock]

Actually no, not if I'm actively trying to keep track of them, and they stay in my line of sight.

But I wasn't really talking about combat, where it's easy to imagine a character's attention being drawn somewhere else for a second, during which any character could theoretically hide. But what about out of combat, when someone is looking their direction?

Unless you are actively stating my only goal is too keep line of sight with someone distractions happen all the time whether in combat or out of combat. Outside of that I think the idea is that you are blending into the environment enough that even light concealment breaks line of sight enough. This stuff happens to people daily without anyone needing to be an elf. But yes if a player actively stated I'm focusing all my attention on that elf so they can't slip away I might not let the elf use the ability or at least give the player advantage AKA+5 to their passive perception to fight it, but they would be distracted vs everything else.